Japanese barberry, let it go or try to irradicate.

[mikmaze]

Japanese barberry is a low growing, usually under 6 foot tall, spiny shrub that does well in a variety of soils, and in shade to sunny locations. It is deciduous, did I mention spiny? and worthless to deer as far as something to eat. It is however good at providing cover on the ground under large overstory trees. It is listed as invasive by many states. The trick with thinking about eradicating it is that any of the native plants that would grow where it does tend to get browsed out of existence by the hungry hollow haired hoards. On my parcel in particular, I would say there is about 10 acres of it where it is almost the exclusive ground cover under the large oaks, beech, hickory, and even under some of the large osage thickets. Do others face this plant? how do you see it at your place? Are there any programs to assist in its removal? If there was a use for this stuff, I'd be rich I guess.

 

[bueller]

Invasive, yet extremely common in landscaping. Check out home depot or menards they sell tons of this stuff. I haven't heard of any eradication attempts being successful or failures.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

smsmith - Is bush honeysuckle an invasive where you are? We have a boatload of barberry at our camp.The one thing that seems to eat from it is grouse. They eat the red berries in the fall/winter. Other than that, it's useless as far as I can see. I've seen it take over clearcuts to the detriment of any seedlings.

 

[mikmaze]

far as I can tell, a dye can be extracted from the yellow twigs and roots to make a pretty vibrant yellow. Aside from that I see little other use.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

far as I can tell, a dye can be extracted from the yellow twigs and roots to make a pretty vibrant yellow. Aside from that I see little other use.

I have it on my place and I irradicate judiciously. If dominates the understory of my woodlands and eats up big chunks in old pastures. I have yet to find deer using it as bedding cover because it leaves no room or small openings. I have on occasion found beds around the margins of barberry thickets, but i just don't see significant usage for me to want to let it continue to spread and dominate. The great thing about it, is that it tends to leave out before everything else making it and easy target for foliar treatment with gly with out the fear of killing other surrounding plants. I have also had success with cutting and treating the cut stumps/shoots with gly. I usually spray and remove the carcasses when and where I can. I do leave some for bunny cover...although new ones tend to sprout under the old carcasses becasue birds love those red berries....and they sit in the bush eating the berries and pooping the seeds!

 

[j-bird]

Recommending bush-honeysuckle - Smsmith you are an evil person (I know it was in fun - why not recommend johnson grass or canadian thistle while your at it) - I don't have the barberry, but have an all-out war going with bush-honeysuckle! My wonderful neighbors have their woods full of this crap and as such it started to spread to my place. This time of year it gets a discinctive white flower on it and I walk the woods looking for it. In my area the stuff will completely take over the understory if given the chance. I have seen stumps of this stuff as big around as your thigh! It totally displaces anything else in the understory - deer don't browse it in my area or seem to havemuch use for it at all except screening cover when the leaves are on it. If you want some I can hook you up!